SHEPHERD ROBBED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20252, 11 May 1929, Page 14

SHEPHERD ROBBED.

HOLIDAY IN THE CITY. MONEY TRUSTED TO STRANGER. SHIP'S STEWARD FOUND GUILTY. The trial of Ronald Alfred Mont en (Mr. Noble) on a charge of stealing £65 from John Deans in Auckland on April 18 took place in the Supremo Court yesterday before Mr. Justice Herdman. The pvosecution disclosed a story of a countryman in town for a holiday who was persuaded to hand over substantial savings for "safe keeping" to a stranger whom he met at an apartment house. When he asked for the return of his money the stranger disappeared, but the detectives effected a prompt arrest in Wellington. The jury found Monten guilty and His Honor intimated that he would pronounce sentence on Wednesday. Mr. Meredith, for tho Crown, said that Deans camo in from tho country for a holiday with about £9O in his possession. He stayed at a boardinc house in Parnell. Accused, who was also staying at the boarding house; saw Deans counting over his money and at accused s suggestion Deans handed t to him 13 £5 notes to be locked up. Tho two went round the hotels on the following day, Deans doing most of tho paying and lending first £1 and then 10s to Monten. On the third day Deans said he would like to have his money back, as he wanted to put it in the bank. Accused's "Bit of Luck."

Later in tho day Deans saw accused in a taxicab going toward tho city. Evidence would be given that accused said to a man that day that he had had a bit of luck and had won £65. When accused failed to turn up at the boarding house Deans put the matter in the hands of the police. The result was that Detective Tricklebank picked up tho accused in Wellington. He had £52 on him and admitted to tho detective that this was part of the £65 he had received from Deans. It was only tho prompt action of the police that prevented accused from getting away out ol tne country on a boat. Evidence on tho lines of the Crown Prosecutor's statement was given by Deans, who gave liis occupation as that of shepherd and musterer at ISJMruawahia. , . ■. William Tilson, proprietor of the boarding house, said that accused s wife had a permanent apartment at the house. Accused, who was a steward on the Niagara, went there once m six weeks. On April 15 accused told him that Deans had given him £65 to look aftei. _ William J. Dodds, an employee in a tourist agency, said that accused asked him for pamphlets on Canada and .tola him he had had luck that day> having won from £65 to £67. Travelling as "John Brown." Thomas Wilkinson, railway red cap porter, identified accused as the man for whom he checked two suitcases to \\ Ellington on tho evening of April 18 under the name of "John Brown. Accused said he had been transferred from the Niagara to the Tahiti. Detective Tricklebank gave evidence regarding the arrest in Wellington and accused's admission that ho had stolen tho money. Accused offered to restoro the £l3' spent, saying that the money had been too great a temptation for him. Accused, in evidence, denied that the money had ever been lent to him. All the witnesses had been lying. His Honor said that tho jury was entitled to draw the inference that although accused got tho money quite lawfully to begin with, later on ho mado up his mind to keep it. He doubted whether it was possible for tho jury to disregard the statements of the reputable witnesses who had gone there and testified to the facts relating to tho disappearance of the £65.

After a quarter of an hour's retirement the jury returned with a verdict of guilty. "It is difficult to seo how you could have come to any other conclusion in this case," said His Honor.